Tensions escalated at Bishalgarh Koroimura Higher Secondary School as students from the minority community staged a protest in response to the reported assault of a 10th-standard student who had supported the wearing of the hijab on campus. The incident unfolded on Friday when Md. Eliaz Sarkar Suman, a student at the school, was allegedly attacked by an unidentified group of youths outside the premises, leaving him injured.
In a show of solidarity, minority students from the school, joined by local residents, staged a road blockade on the Bishalgarh-Boxanagar road, demanding justice for Suman and expressing their concerns over the incident.
According to sources, the strife began around ten days ago when representatives from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) approached the school’s headmaster, Priyotosh Nandi, urging the prohibition of Muslim girls from wearing hijabs within the school’s premises. Subsequently, without consultation with higher authorities or local stakeholders, the headmaster issued a circular banning the wearing of hijabs.
Reacting against this decision, minority students continued to wear hijabs in defiance of the circular. This defiance sparked a confrontation today, during which some youths reportedly entered the school grounds and engaged in a dispute with Md. Eliaz Sarkar Suman, ultimately subjecting him to physical assault. Suman sustained injuries and was transported to Agartala IGM Hospital after receiving initial care at Bishalgarh Hospital.
Critics have pointed fingers at the school’s headmaster for his handling of the situation. Many accused him of locking the school’s main gate while the assault was taking place and questioned how outsiders gained access to the campus.
In a distressing turn of events, a group of unidentified individuals ransacked the headmaster’s office within the school premises, causing significant damage.
The local police intervened to disperse the protesting students, resulting in the lifting of the road blockade. In an effort to address the concerns and find a resolution, local leaders and guardians engaged in discussions with the school’s headmaster.
Expressing concern over the incident, the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of Bishalgarh emphasized the seriousness of the situation and vowed to take stringent actions against those attempting to tarnish the reputation of Bishalgarh.
